Stellenbosch Eliminate Chiefs In Nedbank Cup
Stellenbosch knocked out defending champions Kaizer Chiefs from the Nedbank Cup after a tense round of 32 victory at a sold-out DHL Cape Town Stadium on Wednesday evening.
Both sides entered the encounter seeking revenge, with Amakhosi having eliminated Stellies in the quarterfinal stage of last season’s Nedbank Cup, while Stellenbosch had knocked Chiefs out in the round of 16 of this season’s Carling Knockout.
The match was delayed by 30 minutes due to the stadium being fully packed, as supporters were still making their way inside.
The delay appeared to affect Chiefs early on, as they struggled in the opening 25 minutes and conceded twice, bringing an end to Brandon Petersen’s impressive run of clean sheets.
Stellenbosch took the lead in the 10th minute after being awarded a penalty when Flavio Da Silva kicked Thabo Moloisane in the face inside the penalty area, and Ibraheem Jabaar calmly converted to make it 1-0.
Stellies doubled their advantage in the 23rd minute when Devin Titus, who recently signed a new contract with the club, found the back of the net to give the home side a 2-0 lead.
After that, Chiefs began to settle into the game and created several chances, with Mduduzi Shabalala repeatedly denied by goalkeeper Sage Stephens, as the first half ended with Stellenbosch still in control.
Amakhosi came out strongly in the second half and dominated the opening 25 minutes, creating numerous opportunities.
Their pressure paid off in the 56th minute when they were awarded a penalty following a handball in the box, and Da Silva powered his spot kick into the top corner to reduce the deficit to 2-1.
Chiefs continued to push for an equaliser and came close in the 75th minute from a free kick, but they failed to make the opportunity count.
In the 85th minute, young midfielder Thulani Mabaso nearly produced a moment of brilliance with a long-range right-footed strike, but his effort sailed just over the crossbar.
Despite a late surge and relentless pressure in the closing stages, Amakhosi could not find another goal, and the match ended 2-1 in favour of Stellenbosch.
Following the defeat, Chiefs will now turn their attention to the CAF Confederation Cup, where they face Egyptian giants Al Masry this weekend in Polokwane as they look to return to winning ways.
